Family Friday: Wooden Vending Machine Playset
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The ability of Melissa & Doug to translate real life into play never ceases to amaze me.
With this vending machine playset, your child will spend hours sorting, stocking, and buying snacks and drinks. It even includes play coins and a bank card.
Like all of Melissa & Doug’s playsets, this vending machine encourages endless tech-free imaginative play.
Melissa & Doug’s Wooden Vending Machine Playset is $79.99 at Nordstrom.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
I’d like a new pair of diamond earrings and am considering shopping second hand first, mostly for sustainability reasons. Anyone have experience buying pre-owned, second hand jewelry? I don’t know where to start: in-person, online, estate sale, regular jewelry store…
Asking over here since everyone here is nicer than the main site: there’s no way I can check in with a sibling about the person they’re marrying, right? I’m like 99% sure that there is really no path for me raising concerns about the match that allows me to not ruin my relationship with my sibling (and definitely my soon to be in-law). But then occasionally people say that family or friends never told them they saw red flags during a relationship and wished they had, so I just want to check. Wedding planning is exacerbating some really unattractive qualities in the future spouse, and making me question both their commitment to my sibling, if they’re focusing on the right things marriage vs. wedding, and how well aligned their personalities are generally. A few other family members are also feeling this, and the general sentiment is “I hope [sibling] knows what they are getting into”. I don’t even know how or what I’d say, which tells me that I know the right answer is probably just to let it lie, but at least appreciate the vent here to get this off my chest.
How are Honest baby wipes? We want something eco-friendly/non-toxic and it would be nice to be able to buy them at local stores as well. I don’t trust online reviews much because of sponsorships and promos.
Planning a two night trip to nyc with my 9 year old daughter. Ideas for things to do? We’ve done empire state building and a bunch of playgrounds in the past.
Crazy other thought – considering taking her 5 year old sister too…Would change this from a fun big kids girls weekend into something a little different but 5 year old has been struggling a bit recently so I want to make sure she’s feeling appreciated!
I found this article helpful: https://www.babylist.com/hello-baby/we-tried-all-the-baby-wipes
Essentially it’s trial and error to find the brand that most balances effectiveness, value, and eco-friendliness for your needs.
Elementary school moms – two fold questions related to being engaged in your kids’ school. First, how do you balance the demands of work and also wanting to be involved in the school? I really enjoy building a community and being involved now that my kids are at the elementary school stage. I joined the PTO, try to help out when I can but can’t be at all the things all the time. I didn’t feel this way with daycare, it was more just drop them off and go about my day. But now I want to be at the school more! In the long term, I want to keep my job and maybe even go higher in the company, but in the short term, I want to take a sabbatical and just go to all the school things while they’re in elementary.
Second, do your PTOs also have trouble finding people? Our school has 500 kids but it’s been very hard to fill some of the PTO roles, particularly the more labor intensive ones like President. I imagine there are some stay at home parents even in our HCOL area, but it’s hard to get people to join! What have you seen in your schools?
My 3rd grader told me last night that they’re just “not good at academics” and that kids tell them they’re dumb. This kid is pretty sensitive and can be a little melodramatic but still, heartbreaking. It’s only week two of school, but would you do anything about this? (i.e. talk to a teacher or the school admin? get a tutor?) I don’t have any reason to believe they’re actually behind (nor ahead, I think they’re just plodding along in the middle of the pack). But my default is to not make a fuss and just let things play out and wondering if I should take some kind of action.
speaking of PTO, this morning I went to a PTO breakfast and shared with a friend that I’m heading out of town tomorrow to visit my sister and her one week old newborn…friend then mentions how it’s been a stressful week bc she’s been under the weather, etc. um- please stay home or at least stay away from me!
Can you share with me your thoughts about how to manage your different kids learning styles? I have a son who is a very traditional learner- reading, writing, memorizing, sitting, listening. My other is a very hands on learner- likes to touch and feel things herself, enjoys the sensations of doing things, loves sensory play, hates reading. I have always known that different people learn differently but seeing the dramatic difference between these two children is really startling. I don’t feel like school is at all adapted to the learning needs of my hands on learner. Is this a conversation with their teachers or more of just a general uphill battle for my hands on learner throughout her schooling?
Hopefully a light question for Friday… how do you display family photos around your home? And how do you commit to the photos of your family as it exists now versus leaving room for future photos? We haven’t hung a single photo on the walls and only two rooms have any wall art so far (dining room and kids’ room). We’ve lived here two years. I’m considering a photo gallery wall for an open wall, but have also heard that those read as tacky especially since the wall is visible from the front door. I am sure it would be much more chic if I did a triptych of 3 black and white photos with large mats or something… but I don’t know how I’d choose between photos of each kid and which life stage. (They’re 2 and 4).
It looks like the comments formatting changed on this page. Is there a way to collapse the replies like there used to be in the old format? That was one of my favorite and most used features. I am finding it very hard to tell where one thread ends and the next one begins in this new format.
First, unsure if I like the new comment font/format. Change is hard!
Second, what’s your favorite independent walker/toddler shoe these days? I’m looking for ~18 month old girl. We already have See Kai Run sneakers. I’d like to get a rugged, but cute sandal with closed toe box and maybe another sneaker option in a bigger size.
Seven-year-old DD is unavoidably going to have to attend a day-long sporting event for DS. My go-tos for more normal half-day (or less) events is to bring books, coloring/activity books, and allow some limited screen time for the time she can’t run around and play without being disruptive. Any other ideas?? Thanks in advance!
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